Cannabis Concentrates: What Is Shatter ?

Cannabis extracts have hit the marketplace and the people loved it. While extracting cannabis has long been done throughout the ages, it has recently over the past five years or so gained a lot of popularity. There are different names for cannabis extracts including, Shatter, Honey, Wax, Budder, Taffy, Sap or Oil. I might be forgetting a few, but you get the gist of it.

The idea behind these extracts is quite straight forward. The cannabis plant is processed through a solvent, in many cases Butane. Essentially, the raw plant material is soaked or blasted with butane and then heated at a later stage to get rid of the solvent.

The resulting oil is the BHO we all come to love and enjoy. But what makes Shatter – Shatter?

The Difference Between Shatter And The Rest Of The BHO

While the process of making extracts all follows the same principle which is using a solvent to separate the trichomes, cannabinoids and terpenoids from the plant material and then removing the solvent from the process. How the process is being performed indicates whether it’s shatter, budder or wax.

Waxes and similar concentrates are usually stirred, whipped or even skaen during several stages of the production process. What this does is agitate the individual molecule within the extract and makes a final product that is more cloudy or even creamy in texture and appearance.

Shatter on the other hand is not agitated during the process and results in a more translucent appearance. Now it’s important to note that translucency has nothing to do with purity. Many people think that the more translucent an extract indicates the purity, however purity is based on how much of the solvent is being removed (purged) from the end result.

So never be fooled by someone trying to sell you purity based on translucency.

How To Consume Shatter?

There’s a lot of ways you can consume shatter. The most common method these days is through a rig or a vape pen of some sorts. I for one have an e-nail rig and a Wulf head for my vape pen. Both of these work more than okay.

For those not interested in buying rigs, you could always put a small dab on the top of your bowl with some weed mixed into it or simply roll little balls into a joint. I personally think you waste the shatter but it’s really up to preference at this point.

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Safety Profile

While some people would like to scare you about the amount of THC in shatter, you don’t really have to worry about that. The only potentially dangerous thing about shatter and any concentrate for that matter is how much it’s been purged. If the supplier did a piss poor job in purging the solvents, you’re essentially inhaling the solvents. That’s hazardous to your health.

This is why you should always rely on professionals that know what they are doing. You will easily taste the impurities in the shatter when you smoke it. If you start coughing and not really getting high…you’re probably coughing because of the solvent still inside the mix.

Other than that, the amount of THC doesn’t matter. Just ease yourself into it. Take smaller doses and find out what the right amount is for you. I usually can make five grams of shatter last me a month or more because I need a very little bit to feel the effects. That makes shatter (while more expensive per gram) more economical in the long run.